Hydraulic ram



r UNITED STA-TissA 4raiiiiiri oFFioE.

JOSEPH C. STRODE, OF EAST BRADFORD TOWNSHIP, CHESTER COUNTY,PENNSYLVANIA.

HYDRAULIC RAM.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. S'rRoDE, of East Bradford township, in thecounty of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Machines for Raising Water, called Stro'desPneumato Hydraulic Engine, which is described as follows, referencebeing` had to the annexed drawings of the same, making part of thisspecification.

The nature of my invention and improvement consists in making use of acolumn of condensed air between the propelling fluid and the fluid thatis to be raised-said air being condensed in a pyramidalv shaped chamberby means of the momentum of a descending column of water-said chamberhaving a communication by a small opening at its top with anotherchamber into which the spring water, or fluid to be raised, isintroduced called the spring water chamber, and upon which the condensedair inthe rst named chamber is made to act,'ca`using said fluid to risethrough a tube placed in the spring water chamber (openfat its lower endand closed alternately at its upper end by means of a valve) into alarge air vessel or receiver of the usual form and construc-4 tion beingconducted thence to its place of destination by pipes or hose in theusual manner.

Figure l is a longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a transverse section. Fig.3 is a perspective view.

Similar letters in the several figures refer to corresponding parts.

A is the main pipe for, conducting thepropelling water from the head'orreservoir to the pyramidal air chamber. This pipe'descends below thelevel of that portion of it which connects with the air chamber justbefore it reaches the said chamber and then ascends in a curved line tolit forming a curved bend in the pipe as at A for the purpose ofpreventing the air received at the valve B during the time in which thevacuum is produced in the air and water chamber as hereafter described,from filling the pipe A; as the air will not descend at said bend in thetube so that the surplus of 'said air after having filled the condensingchamber L may be carried 0H by the current of water, through the valveB. The pipe A is -enlarged below the air chamber L as at A2,

and has an opening O into the air chamber valve B is closed.

B is a valve attached to a curved vibrating lever C turning on gudgeonsD in boxes as its fulcrum having a set screw E for regulating thedescent of the valve' and a' lcounter balance F for adjusting the valve.

When this valve B is down as shown in Fig. '3 the water from the headflows through the opening which it closes. When it is up as shown inFig. l, the water rises into the pyramidal chamber L through the openingO and condenses the air therein.

H is a pipe for conveying the spring water to the spring water chamber.I is the air chamber into which the water is forced. J is the valve forholding it. K is a pipe or hose for conveying the water to its place ofdestination. The above named parts let'- tered from A to K inclusive aremade and operated in the usual manner. n

The improvements are as follows. L `is a pyramidal chamber into whichairis admitted through the valve B when it descends bythe pressure ofthe external air to supply the partial vacuum created in the pipe A and'chambers L and N. This pyramidal chamber has a communication by a smallopening M at the top with another chamber N called the spring or purewater chamber; through which opening M the air so condensed, is forcedand presses on the spring or other water introduced into the samethrough the pipe H by which pressure the water in 'said spring waterchamber is forced upward through a tube P reaching to nearI the bottomof said chamber, N, through the valve J into the air chamber I saidvalve being represented as open in Fig. 1- and as closed in Fig. 2.

L, through which the water passes when the To raise water with thismachine open the 1 valve B and let the water flow out, then by closingthe valve B the water which is now in motion in the pipe A will passthrough the opening O into the pyramidal condensing chamber L andcondense the air inthe same as before, the condensed air will force thespring water up the tube P which had entered through the valve Q duringthe con- 'tinuance of the partial vacuum above spoken of, into the airchamber I and condense the air therein until its density is equal tothat in thev condensing chambers L and Nv. below; at this time thespring ber I the valve J closes and the air in the chambers I, L and Ncommences eXpanding, t-hat in the lower chamber L giving motion to thepropelling fluid and driving it backward producing a partial vacuum inthe machine and the air in the upper chamber I forcing the spring waterto its place of destination. The said partial vacuum in the machinecaused by the react-ion of the Huid as aforesaid and the pressure of theexternal atmosphere on the valve B will cause it to open again. Thewater from the head then flows through this valve with an acceleratingmovement until it has acquired that degree of velocity as to cause thevalve to close.

-The water having no longer any vent through the valve B passes throughthe opening O into the pyramidal air chamber L and repeats the operationabove mentioned successively. In this manner the operation will continueas long as the machine remains in order and there is a head of water, topropel it.

The valve V is for the purpose of supplying the chamber I with air byadmitting said air into the tube P. The said air is admitted during thetime that the partial' vacuum above mentioned takes place. The air thusintroduced into the tube P ascends to the top of the same and is forcedinto the chamber I at the next stroke of, thermachine--said valve V .isrepresented open in Fig. 2 and may be closed, or regulated by screwingin the thumb screw V.

The principal advantages this machine possesses over other machines are,lst, in case of forcing up pure water by the propelling power of arunning stream of water less pure there is no possibility of the impurewater mixing with the pure, there being at that time a column ofcondensed air between the two waters. 2nd, the water being forced intothe upper chamber I by the condensation of air in the lower chamber thevalve J opens more slowly than when water alo-ne is made the propellingmedium and also shuts more slowly thereby preventing the water fromescaping back through the valve J after it is forced upl the valve Jbeing nearly closed when the water ceases to iow upward into the chamberL. This advantage upon trial is found to be of considerableimportance-enabling the machine thus operated to force with a givenquantity of water several barrels more 55 of water per day than it wouldotherwise do. 3rd, there being no valve between the condensed air in thelower chamber and the driving water or at the opening O said air ispermitted to act a longer time in forcing back said driving water andthereby making a more complete vacuum than in other machines andrendering useless the spring for opening the outlet valve B as used inseveral machines.

It is not necessary that the spring water chamber N and the air chamberL should be inclosed by the same envelop; but they may form separatechambers and they may be arranged in any convenient way, or manner, mostacceptable to the constructor, provided that the capacity of the airchamber does not exceed a due ratio between the propelling power and thewater to be raised.

I wish it to be understood that in the con- `l75 struction of thesemachines I do not wish to ,confine myself to the form of a hollow frus-`ever, prefer the forms above described when pure ,water is to be raised.with impure water.

What` I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentisl. Making use of a column of condensed air between the propellingfluid and the fiuid to be raised in the manner above described or othermode substantially the same by which analogous results are effected.

2. I claim the particular combination of ahe pyramidal air chamber L theinternal spring water chamber N and the water tube P with the curvedconducting pipe A and valve B and t-he air chamber I and hinged valve Jconstructed and arranged in the manner and for the purpose substantially100 as set forth.

JOSEPH C. STRODE.

ALBERT E. I-I. J oHNsoN.

